CycleDog: (n) 1. An all-weather bicyclist, often regarded as one very sick puppy with a bad attitude. 2. A ankle-biting poodle with a Mohawk. (l)Canis
familiaris cyclus

Friday, December 14, 2007

Owasso Ice Storm Update 4 (Revised)

(There will be one more post on this subject, probably later today, and then I'll return to the usual drivel, whining, snarky comments, and wild innuendo that is normally found here. That is, unless I manage to remove some body parts with the chainsaw later today. The final post will be a thank-you for all the people who are working so hard to return our lives to normal.)

Our power came back on at about 3PM CST. I originally intended to do regular updates throughout the day, but that plan went south when we lost electricity. For some reason, these here computers and things don't work well without it.

But before this laptop died completely - because some big dummy who looks a lot like me forgot to pack the power supply - I made a very rough list of notes that I'll expand upon in the next day or two. It may take some time because there's much to do here at home. I cleared branches from the yard and tried - unsuccessfully - to get the chainsaw started.

That's just outside. Here in the house, there's laundry and dishes piled up. The carpet in the bathroom is damp from the ice incursion. There's much to do.

So, until later, here's my rough list. I was reduced to writing (gasp!) in a notebook with a pencil, an analog form of communication rarely used these days except for grocery lists. It will take some time to transpose/translate all that into an electronic form.

One or two last thoughts. Our house came through undamaged. We've lost several trees, including Mary's beloved redbud. But the mature oak and pine are probably going to be OK.

I'll flesh this out later............Ed

Icde storm update 4

we stil don't have power as of 5AM Wednsday

As I went to work, I was hopeful that power would be restored sometime during the day. Street lights were on and the traffic signals on the arterials were working again. But the west side of town was still dark.

hose cold and dark. Gasl og helps

The house was indeed cold and dark. We lit candles and carried flashlights. The big Maglites kept disappearing, though. You'd think that a 3 D cell flashlight would be easy to find, but they had a pesky habit of turning up in some unusual places. I keep a smaller one in my pocket for work. It was used so frequently that the batteries died. Mostly, I used it to go looking for the big flashlights.

Wade installed a gas log in our fireplace a few years ago. I'm grateful to have it in these conditions. It's not very efficient, but once it heats the fireplace bricks, it radiates heat throughout the living room and kitchen. And it throws enough light to see by in the living room. Still, I'd like to have a reading light, maybe another Aladdin lamp. They're common in Amish country, les common around here. (FIND PHOTO OF ALADDIN LAMP AND LINK)

panera lst night very crowded people waiting for tables. Wi fi very slow due to connec

Panera's Wi-Fi was very slow, almost like dial-up because so many people were connected. I've never seen that many people in there! A line formed from the counter, snaked around in the dining room, and reached the front door. People hovered over tables, hoping the occupants would leave. Some of them were obviously settled in for the evening and wouldn't budge. Two guys were waiting for our table as it was apparent that we were leaving. I could see that some folks were torn between trying to snag a table or keeping their place in the serving line. No wonder tempers are frayed in other areas, but more on that in a moment.

many areas getting pwr restored today. Trafficsignal working ok

Co-workers reported seeing caravans of power company trucks moving along area roadways, many of them from out of state. I'd love to have some photos of them. (Later) The Tulsa World has a photo of a fleet of trucks parked at the county fairgrounds. If possible, I'll go down there early some morning for some photos.

most businesses open

As I write this early on Thursday morning, I can say that most Owasso area businesses are open, though the restaurants over in Smith Farms were still closed when I went by there last night. It looked like they had power restored, so I imagine they'll be open today.

area to our east has power but we did not

We drove through the neighborhood after dinner on Tuesday, traveling from east to west and encountering normally lit houses. But the dividing line couldn't have been more distinct. One block was lit, but the next one was dark. Mary had been getting her hopes up, imagining that the power company had repaired our lines while we were away. But it was not to be.

'govt shoud have prevented this' acc to one conspiracy guy

It's easy to second-guess in any situation like this, and of course our shop has a resident pessimist/conspiracy theory fan who said that the storm's impact was greater because our government agencies were unprepared. There's little point in arguing with people like this because they're happiest when a mysterious cabal is engaging in Machiavellian plots against them. Regardless, our local government was on top of the situation from the beginning, and we owe our thanks to those people in law enforcement, the fire department, ambulance services, public works, and all the other departments who did much to mitigate the effects of this disaster. And our special thanks to the linemen and utility workers who restored our power and communications. This will be the subject of a separate post.

another bitches incesantly about schools having power while he does not. Shoul dpen shelter in school.

(GET PHOTO OF 66TH STREET NORTH) While our trees are damaged, they're not as bad as some others. My neighbor's maple and willow trees are completely destroyed. Our mature pine and oak were damaged, but they'll likely survive. The redbud isn't down, but its trunk is cracked. A pine in the back yard is snapped in half. Lots of chainsaw work in the immediate future.

pecan grove destroyed

The pecan grove along Mingo Road is heavily damaged. The crop wasn't good this year. It will be worse next year.

forgot power supply for laptop today. Forgot VHF/UHF scanner radio also

I left the power supply and my radio sitting on the kitchen table, right out in the open where I wouldn't forget them. The only thing I can say in my defense is that I have a serial brain early in the day.

(From notebook)

road to anarchy? Descent to anarchy?

I'm wondering if the descent to anarchy starts this way, with a disastrous event that overwhelms local government and services. Most people would wait patiently for improving conditions, but the events unfolding around them would slowly deteriorate until they found themselves in an end-of-the-world scenario.

Example of how to write?

If anyone is wondering...yes...this is how I lay out a post for CycleDog. It begins as a list of ideas. Then I flesh out those ideas and add to them, stringing them together is some logical form. It ain't pretty.

Near-universal greeting “do you hav e poser yet?”

And in keeping with the above...this is an example of my atrocious spelling! This it the near-universal greeting around here. “Hi, Ed. Do you have power yet?” I'm thinking it really should relate to one of those fantasy combat games like World of Warcraft. “Why yes, I've gained the power of the infernal Belch of Byzantium! Stand back, fool!”

fistfights over gasoline and batteries

There were reports of fistfights over gasoline and batteries. I can imagine that since the battery rack at Atwoods was bare last night.

generators sold out within minutes – some reports of price gouging

The Oklahoma Attorney General's office had some reports of price gouging involving hotel rooms, generators, and other scarce commodities. There was a local report of a store selling generators and adding a 'shipping charge' of $50 to each unit since they had to truck them in from out of state. When you think about it, the regular price should cover shipping.

This takes some 'splainin'. Our bathroom is on the north end of the house and the gas log is on the south end. The bathroom was definitely chilly. But I needed a shower, so I turned up the hot water and got in and out as quickly as possible. When I finished, the bathroom was fogged in. Honest, this wasn't a light mist or a little condensation on the mirror. It was a thick fog that obscured the other side of the room. I joked with Mary that I was afraid to open the door because the warm front from the bathroom could meet the cold front from the hallway, and it would rain in our bedroom. “What about tornadoes?” she asked. It's been a long time since we had a tornado in our bedroom and I offered to assist her in looking for one. “It's too cold!” she said.

worst disaster to hit tulsa.

This is the worst disaster in Tulsa's history. As I finish writing this on Friday morning, there are still over 150,000 people without power. My employer's response? Get back to work.